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Blockbusters and flops, firm favourites and forgotten gems

Overboard (2018)

Rob Greenberg directs Eugenio Derbez, Anna Faris and Eva Longoria in this class war romantic comedy where an heir to a building supply fortune, washes ashore with no memories so a working mom who he recently wronged cons him into thinking he is the father of her children.

As proven above, there is no way to write a one sentence synopsis of Overboard (the original or this gender switch remake) that in any way covers all the ground of its pitch, nor makes it sound in any way tasteful. The Eighties Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn version was a childhood mainstay in our VHS, silly larks for the whole family powered by two top of their games stars, who were in love in real life. You overlooked the sexism and the kidnapping / brainwashing / gaslighting exploitation of the concept. The remake doesn’t have that crutch to lean against. I’ve always felt Anna Faris has deserved a slightly bigger profile, more lead roles, but here she just exists to power the plot, essentially playing a foil that positions Eugenio Derbrez into various situations. He makes for a blunt meat and potatoes comic lead, he isn’t reinventing the wheel comedically… And I doubt that will ever be his intention. This leaves the few jokes that do land to be the graft of the strong, deep, pleasant ensemble. The whole thing is a colourful frippery, much like the original, if you leave your brain in another room it passes the time with no foul and no harm. You just kinda wish Anna Faris was given a lead where she could leave a more lasting impression or at least be given the material to generate a few big laughs out of.